Yep, the whole island needs to be done. N.I. have given about 620K jabs but only have a third of your population. I think you guys have done about 470-500K, but as you are part of the EU purchase scheme will be held back a bit with vaccine supply for the moment. The EU are now asking the USA for vaccines (AZ I think I read) but I’m not sure how that will go down in the Whitehouse.....
From a virus perspective mate. We need the U.K. and Ireland to do well, what will effect one will effect the other with CTA etc.
The North had a terrible time over the winter and that was concerning for us, because we had it pretty good until we messed up Xmas. But the island needs both jurisdictions doing well as 10s of thousands go over and back over the border almost every day and mix. The border counties in particular have had some tough times.
Yeah we’ve gone over 500K today for doses. I’m pretty happy with that, we’re doing the two dose strategy and three week intervals with the MRNAs with that in mind we’re doing grand. I tried to apply what you guys are doing in the U.K. with single doses and 12 week intervals to our figures, i think you would still be ahead with the earlier start and having AZ longer, but I’m not sure by as much as you might read in the Telegraph.
Supply is the issue in the EU alright, we’re lucky in that we took up all our quota of all the vaccines, our target for March is 100k a week, at the moment we are about 85k, really AZ aren’t delivering, but again we’re not using it in over 70s at the mo and they are the groups we are doing at the moment.
I expect supply to improve in the coming weeks though and we are doing grand as it is, fingers crossed J&J gets the thumbs up on Thursday (heard a rumour) thats when the EMA will give a decision. That would give us a turbo boost heading into April, while it’s also around the time frame the kinks in supply are said to be worked out, fingers crossed!